Wanting To Date A Slayer

Word of warning: I have no idea about any of the medical stuff that follows. I work way too much and didn't want to research it. So if it doesn't make sense or is just wrong, sorry.

******

Buffy sat in a hall of Sunnydale hospital staring at her hands. She had gotten Faith to the hospital but hadn’t known what to do after that. The emergency room doctors had taken the brunette from her and she just sat down, not knowing what else to do. She only looked up when she heard someone yelling her name over and over again.

“Buffy!” Joyce yelled while walking quickly down the hall towards her daughter, “what happened?”

Giles and the blonde’s mother reached her quickly with panicked faces. Being Faith’s guardian, Giles had gotten a call from the hospital and he had called Joyce as soon as he hung up the phone. Once they deduced Faith was the only one hurt, they raced to the hospital in a matter of minutes.

“Buffy, where’s Faith?” Giles asked in a hurried voice.

“In there,” she mumbled, pointing toward the general direction of a few different rooms.

“I’ll find out,” Giles said to Joyce and hurried off to the desk. The older woman sat down and wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders.

“Honey, tell me what happened,” she said, cringing at her daughter’s appearance. The teenager had blood on her shirt and jacket, even a little on her jeans, and her hands were covered in it. Joyce shivered at the realization of who’s blood it was.

Buffy finally looked at her mother, her face stained with tears. “I screwed up, Mom,” she almost whispered then started to cry.

“I’m sure it’ll be okay, sweetheart,” Joyce said, trying to calm her daughter. “Just tell me what happened.”

“We kinda had a fight,” Buffy sniffled, “I think, anyway. She saw me dancing with someone else and stormed out of the Bronze before we could say anything to each other. I ran after her and caught up right when the demon stabbed her.”

“Why did you dance with someone else?” Joyce asked, trying to get her daughter to talk about it, knowing she needed to.

“Xander and Cordelia were trying to set me up with someone,” Buffy explained quietly. “They said I should be dating someone and I hadn’t told them I already was. So, they introduce me to this guy, he asks me to dance and Xander answers for me and pushes us toward the dance floor.”

“And a slow song started,” Joyce stated, knowing exactly what the next words out of her daughter would be.

“Yeah,” the blonde nodded, “I was going to give it thirty seconds and tell him I was already seeing someone. Faith just got there before I could. I looked back to the table and she was already walking out the door.”

“She just left?” the older Summers asked.

Buffy nodded again. “I guess she didn’t want to start anything in front of everyone. We haven’t told everyone yet.” She sighed. “I guess I messed up there, too,” Buffy started to sob again. “She can’t leave me, Mom. She doesn’t know how much I love her.”

Joyce smiled slightly, hearing her daughter say that about Faith for the first time. She knew Faith hadn’t told her daughter how she really felt. “I think she does, Buffy, and you’ll be able to tell her soon.”

Buffy looked up at her mother with a panicked look in her eyes. “There was so much blood.”

Joyce held her daughter to her as Giles walked over to them. “They’ve taken her up to surgery for the stab wound. I’m told the one on her head would have just caused a concussion but the loss of blood might complicate things.”

“How?” Buffy asked, looking up at him.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Giles sighed, “they started speaking fast and I wasn’t paying all that much attention other than Faith’s chances.” He looked down at Buffy’s distraught face and could see he said the wrong thing. “Her chances are good, Buffy.”

Both women sighed a little in relief and Giles sat down next to them. Over the next hour, that’s all the three of them did. They sat and stared at the clock or paced the waiting room, trying to will time to go faster. The only thing they did was move to a waiting room closer to the operating room and that was because Buffy wanted to be as close to Faith as possible.

Joyce did have enough sense to call Willow and tell her what happened. She was more than shocked by the situation but Joyce didn’t give her much information. The redhead offered to do the only thing she could think of: she said she would tell the gang and they would go to the hospital as soon as they could.

Joyce also walked Buffy to the bathroom and helped her daughter wash the blood off her hands and clothes. Her skin got clean, but the clothes were pretty much hopeless, stained beyond what they could fix in a hospital washroom. Joyce knew better than to suggest her willful teenager go home and change into some clean clothes. It would never happen.

Finally, the trio got some company. Buffy looked up from staring blankly at the floor to see Willow, Xander, Oz and Cordelia walking toward her.

“Buffy!” Willow raced over to her friend, “what happened?”

“Faith was stabbed,” Buffy sadly stated as the redhead hugged her.

“Stabbed?” Cordelia asked, a little shocked. “Since when do vampires carry knives?”

“Wasn’t a vamp,” Buffy sighed. “It was some sort of demon. I didn’t get there in time.”

“Is the demon still out there? Should we search for it?” Oz asked, one arm around Willow’s shoulders.

“It’s dead,” Buffy said, sitting back down. The rest of them sat down around her while Joyce’s hand stayed on her daughter’s arm. Everyone was quiet for a minute before Xander spoke up.

“I don’t get it,” Xander said, causing everyone to look at him. “Faith just rushed out of the Bronze and the next we know she’s hurt. Why’d she leave anyway?”

“She was pissed at me,” Buffy said, looking down and knowing full well where the conversation was heading. She was finally ready to take it there. With Faith seriously hurt, Buffy knew she wasn’t going to deny their relationship anymore.

“How? You two looked fine when you came in,” Xander said, still oblivious to the situation. Willow was giving Buffy a small smile for support.

“She was pissed because I was dancing with that guy you pushed on me,” Buffy said and continued before Xander could respond. “Guys, Faith and I are dating.”

No one immediately responded. Joyce and Giles shared a glance then looked back at the teenagers. Buffy looked at each of their faces and then concentrated on Oz.

“Willow told you,” she said calmly, silently congratulating herself that she could for once read his face.

“Sorry, Buffy,” Willow apologized, “don’t be mad. When you ran out after Faith, I was really worried and Oz asked me what was wrong. I told him after we left.”

“It’s cool, Buffy,” Oz said simply.

Buffy smiled at the two of them before turning to the other two. “Xander, Cordelia, do you have anything to say?”

“I don’t know what to say,” Xander said, a shocked expression on his face. “Why didn’t you tell me when you told Will?”

“I told her right away so I could think clearly about the situation, but I didn’t tell anyone else. I was afraid of what you’d say,” the blonde slayer sighed and turned to her mother and watcher. “Mom and Giles only know because they’ve caught us.”

“Caught you?” Cordelia smirked.

“Not like that,” Buffy answered, narrowing her eyes. “You know Giles would have gone blind from that.”

Joyce laughed quietly and Giles looked over at her. “That is not funny,” he said as Joyce put a hand up in apology, “and you’re getting off topic,” he finished, pointing to Buffy.

“Right,” Buffy nodded, “are you okay with this, with me and Faith?”

“Sure, Buff,” Xander smiled warmly at her. “I just wish you’d told me sooner. Faith’ll hurt me now for trying to set you up.”

“You won’t be hurt,” Cordelia put in, “she knows you’re slow on the uptake.” She looked at Buffy. “I’m fine with it.”

Buffy smiled sadly at them, remembering again why they were at the hospital. She just couldn’t believe she’d let Faith get hurt like that. The blonde couldn’t shake the fact everything was her fault. Then she heard people walking down the hall. Giles got up and starting walking toward the doctor. Buffy and Joyce were right behind him.

“Are you the parents?” the middle-aged doctor asked Giles and Joyce.

“No,” Giles answered quickly, “we’re her guardians. How is Faith?”

“She’s lost a lot of blood,” he explained, “if she would have gotten here any later, she wouldn’t have made it. The knife nicked her kidney but we were able to repair the damage. She’s very weak right now, but she should make a full recovery.”

“What about the hit to her head?” Buffy asked, standing between the two adults.

The doctor looked to her. “It should be fine. It didn’t cause any damage that we can tell. We’ll look into it if there are problems when she wakes up. For now, we’ve moved her to a private room and she should wake up soon.”

“Can I see her?” Buffy asked.

The doctor looked to Giles and Joyce as if he wasn’t sure the teen should go. Both adults only nodded at him, giving the okay. “Sure,” he smiled at the teenager, “she should see a friendly face when she wakes up.”

Buffy smiled and looked back to the two adults. They both just nodded at her and Joyce gave her a light push to follow the doctor. The blonde turned and followed him down the hall.

******

“Go on in,” the doctor said as he pushed open the door to Faith’s room. “She will look a little pale. The operation took a lot out of her. Try not to touch her IVs, okay?”

“Okay,” Buffy said quietly and walked into the room, hearing the doctor close the door behind him.

Faith was lying in the bed, surrounded by a couple machines. Her dark hair was slicked back on her head and she looked very pale. Buffy felt like crying, but held back as she slowly walked over to the bed.

She looked over at the monitors and at the numbers flashing on the screen. Looking away, not knowing what they really meant, she concentrated on Faith. Buffy reached out, letting her hand run the length of the brunette’s body before she took her hand in her own.

“Hey, baby,” she said softly, gently caressing her hand, “I hope you know who this is.” She tried to smile, but instead started to cry. She couldn’t hold it back. All her strength seemed to be gone. “I’m so sorry, Faith. This is all my fault.”

Buffy used her free hand to wipe some of her stray tears away. She had never seen Faith look so weak and she had seen more sides of the young slayer than anyone. It was starting to scare her.

“I never should have danced with that guy,” she started again, “I just wasn’t thinking. You should expect that from me by now. You know me better than anyone. I’ve shared things with you I’ve never told anyone.” She paused, taking a breath. “I finally did what I should have done all along. I told everyone. We don’t have to hide anything anymore. I never want to do that again.”

She sighed. “I know you’re angry with me, Faith, but you can’t break up with me. We’re so good together. I promise I’ll never do anything to hurt you again. I’ll die first.” The tears flowed more freely as Buffy leaned in, just inches from Faith’s face. “I love you so much. Please don’t leave me, baby. I love you.”

Buffy leaned in and kissed the brunette’s forehead. She rested her head next to Faith’s and started to sob quietly. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but didn’t look up. She was so concentrated on Faith she hadn’t even heard anyone enter the room.

“She’ll be okay, sweetheart,” Joyce said softly behind her daughter. “Faith will be fine.”

Buffy turned around and looked at her mother and Giles who was near the door. “What if she wakes up and doesn’t want to see me anymore? What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

“I think she does,” her mother replied, giving her a small smile. She knew Faith loved her daughter but knew that was something the younger girl needed to tell her. “Right now, just wait until she wakes up.”

The blonde nodded and observed the room, noticing a couple chairs, a small table and a TV fixed to the wall. “I’m gonna stay here until she wakes up.”

The mother just looked at her for a few seconds, contemplating her daughter’s statement. “All right,” Joyce relented and presented a bag, “but at least change your clothes. Willow stopped at the house on the way here and picked up some things for you. They going home. It’s been a long night.”

Buffy nodded again. “Thank Willow for me.”

“I will,” Joyce said, “call me when she wakes up, okay?”

“Okay,” Buffy agreed. She watched her mother leave and looked at Giles, who made no move towards the door. “Are you staying?”

“I thought that would be best,” the watcher said. “I am her guardian after all.”

Buffy smiled as the pair pulled up chairs to Faith’s bed and waited for the brunette to wake up.

******

Buffy and Giles had been drifting in and out of sleep for a couple hours when Buffy felt a slight movement of Faith’s hand in her own. She hadn’t let the brunette go since she entered the room, like she was afraid of Faith leaving even now. She immediately sat up and leaned in toward her girlfriend, a small smile on her face.

“Faith,” she said softly but loud enough so Giles heard and sat up as well, “can you hear me?”

The brunette groaned quietly, squeezing Buffy’s hand. She moved around a little in the bed and winced before opening her eyes.

“Hey,” she said hoarsely, giving a couple hacking coughs in the process. She tried to fully open her eyes but squinted, needing to get used to the harsh light of the hospital room.

Giles stood up and walked over to the table on the other side of the bed, getting her some water. “Drink this, Faith.”

The younger slayer drank a little and coughed again. “That feels a little better.”

Giles smiled, beyond relieved his younger slayer was awake. “I’ll get the doctor and tell him you’re awake.”

Faith nodded and the chosen two watched as he left the room. Buffy turned back to the brunette and smiled. She squeezed her hand and leaned in more.

“You had me worried,” she said sweetly, her face just inches from Faith’s, “that demon did a number on you.”

“Yeah, but I can come back from anything,” Faith smirked then thought of something and scowled at the blonde. She remembered the events that led to her being in the hospital with a nasty hole in her side. Her girlfriend had been slow-dancing with some guy. “You were dancing with someone else.”

Buffy put her head down, looking both shameful and guilty. “I’m such an idiot, Faith,” she sighed. “I wasn’t thinking. Xander rushed that guy on me and the next thing I know, I’m being pushed toward the dance floor.” She sighed again. “I was going to give it about thirty seconds before I told him I was taken, but then I saw you.”

Buffy looked up and saw Faith was stilling scowling at her. “Baby, I’m so sorry,” the blonde said, feeling her eyes start to well up. “I know I fucked up and should have just told everyone we’re together. I never should have let it go that far.” She smiled, trying to lighten the situation. “They know now.”

“They do?” Faith asked, her expression lightening ever so slightly. She didn’t want to let her girlfriend off the hook, though, so tried to keep her expressions neutral. She wanted to be tough. She couldn’t just let it go. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, Buffy had hurt her.

Buffy nodded. “I told everyone while you were in surgery. They’re okay with it, but I don’t care if they weren’t. I love you, Faith.”

The brunette looked at her with wide eyes. “What?”

“I love you,” Buffy said again, a couple tears starting to run down her cheek. “You can’t break up with me. I don’t know what I’d do.”

“B,” Faith said quickly, “come here.”

The older girl looked at her curiously then leaned forward so her face was close to the other girl’s. She tried to read Faith’s face but she was keeping her blank but slightly pissed look going.

“I love you, too, Buffy,” she said quietly, her face lightening. She couldn’t hold back any longer. She hated to see her girlfriend cry and never wanted to be the reason. She slowly placed her hand on the back of the blonde’s head and gently pushed her closer until their lips met in the softest of kisses. They both smiled against each other and broke apart after a few seconds.

“You have no idea how relieved I am that you’re okay,” Buffy grinned and hugged Faith. “Don’t you ever do this to me again.” She rested her head on the brunette’s shoulder as she gently keep her arms around her, doing her best to avoid the IVs currently attached to Faith.

“B? You’re the one who got me all jealous and pissed off, remember? You were the one getting all close with that guy,” Faith smiled, her hand placed gently on the other girl’s back.

Buffy turned her head and kissed her cheek. “Never again,” she said, “you have my permission to kick anyone’s ass who looks at me.”

“You know I will,” Faith laughed a little then groaned, causing Buffy to move away from her. “But I’ll talk to you about it first, okay? I won’t run off.”

“Deal,” Buffy grinned. “How do you feel?”

“Kinda crappy,” Faith said and raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend. “What happened to that demon?”

“I killed him,” Buffy said, “I got there right when he stabbed you. Sorry I didn’t get there in time.”

“No big,” Faith smiled, “you obviously saved me. Thanks.”

“Any time,” the older slayer grinned, leaning in to kiss Faith again. They broke away after a few seconds and just smiled at each other, never breaking eye contact. Buffy moved back to sit again as the doctor and Giles walked into the room.

“Glad to see you’re awake, Ms. Lehane,” the doctor smiled, “how are you feeling?”

“Okay,” Faith said slowly, “except I’ve been stabbed. It kinda hurts when I move... at all.”

“Well, you’ll have to take it easy for a few days,” he answered. “I want to keep you here a day or so to check for infection, but I don’t see why you couldn’t go home after that. You will have to be very careful of your bandage though. The wound must stay clean and as dry as possible.”

“I’ll make sure she’s okay,” Buffy spoke up, holding Faith’s hand. “She’ll take it easy until you say otherwise.”

The doctor nodded. “Faith, the best thing right now is for you to get some rest. I’ll stop by later to check on your stitches.”

“Sure thing, doc,” Faith said, leaning her head back on the pillow. She tried to relax as much she could in the bed, but the IVs restricted her movement.

“Thank you,” Giles said to the doctor, “I’d like to ask you a couple questions outside.” The two adults walked out of the room.

“They’re talking about me, aren’t they?” Faith asked Buffy as they looked at the closing door.

“Probably,” Buffy looked back to her, “do you care?”

“No,” Faith smirked. She tried to shift on her bed again and groaned, wincing slightly.

“Are you okay, baby?” Buffy leaning over Faith and putting her hands in her carefully. Faith made a face and Buffy just smiled at her. “Just don’t move around a lot, okay? You have to be careful with the stitches.”

Faith smiled, loving the attention she was receiving from Buffy. “Are you gonna be like this until I get better?”

“What do you mean?” the blonde asked, showing off a semi-confused look.

“You’re taking care of me. How special is this treatment you’re giving?” Faith asked, a playful smile on her face.

“You’ll just have to wait until we get home,” Buffy grinned.

Giles cleared his throat as he reentered the room, not wanting to hear whatever his slayers were talking about. “Well, Faith, I think you’ll be discharged sometime tomorrow.” He looked at his watch. “It’s four in the morning now, you should get some sleep. Buffy, I think you’ll need some as well. I can take to home.”

“I want to stay here,” the blonde slayer said quickly.

“B, you should go home and sleep,” Faith said, reaching out and taking her hand, “you look tired. You shouldn’t have to sleep in a chair. I’ll be okay. Just come back later today.”

Buffy looked at her uncertainly, then sighed. “Okay, but I’ll be back here before you know it.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

******

TBC...